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Aviation History
1936
1936 - 0962.PDF
APRIL I6, 1936. SPANNING THE PACIFIC preparing the Way for Pan American Airways' Service : Short Wave direction Finding : Accommodation in the Martin " China Clipper" FLIGHT. 4°5 Commercial Aviation THE achievement of Pan American Airways in opening up a soon-to-be-regular service across the Paci fic is of particular interest now that plans are being developed for a Transatlantic service. Although the conditions are not by any means simi lar, the Pacific and South American ex perience will be of tremendous value to Pan American Airways and there is every reason to believe that the company will make a serious bid to attain commercial supremacy across the Atlantic. When Igor Sikorsky, writes an American correspondent, started his designs for the 19-ton S.42—which is now flown on the South American service, and is to be built in this country by British Marine Aircraft—manufacturers in the States queried the project of building such large craft and even said that the task was impossible. Subsequent events have shown that big boats can be operated securely and at a profit. These machines, of course, laid the foundation for the present service across the Pacific Ocean in the hands of Edwin Musick. Glenn Martin, in common with Sikorsky, foresaw no obstacle in the building of even larger boats. He undertook to pro duce three 25^-ton flying boats for P.A.A. at a contract price °i $1,200,000. Economical Spaciousness Passing through the Martin boat the observer is immediately impressed with the manner in which every inch of space has wen utilised in the China Clipper, yet, at the same time, u « the interior has an atmosphere of spaciousness. The passenger compartments are divided into four sections, the oncl section being twice as large as its three companions and behfn 1 the aPPearance of a large lounge. Immediately mud the passenger compartments are toilet and spare rage compartments, which can also be converted into prin 1 n'ght flyinS- These berths operate on the Pullman fSvac r Dressmg and undressing can be carried out with Partme ' men •and women passengers in the lounge com- ' J^_ which^ a special dividing curtain is temporarily not and "fcessmg room. C0Jlce'^1ndlCtl, deParture fr°m accepted American radio practice Prohahl I USe 0f Sround D/F stations, but these, it will time Jh Veraembered, are worked on short wave. At the sar «v and °ael and Mrs' Lindbergh made their Atlantic Nee-rs w ° cxPeriments some two years ago, radio en- c°n findeere cndeavouring to extend the range of the direc ting the f °" the ^o-"1"6 trans-Caribbean route—at that Poind Hi °n5est over"water service in operation. The new tllo ugh to tr Kn finder fa Primarily of the Adcock type, auxi 'iarv inT system have been added recently developed • claims ,ruments and an installation procedure which, it e m8ht and morning. Ingenious fold-back basins, with Id running water, make the large lounge an adequate An impressive flying picture of the first of the three Martin boats designed for long-distance transoceanic work—the China Clipper. ness cause the normal loop direction finder to be subject to serious errors and have limited their consistent range to about 30 miles. The new system has done a lot of successful work, in trans oceanic use, on frequencies as high as 6,000 kc, or 50 metres. During the experimental flights on the Pacific Clipper ordinary communication was maintained with this new equipment up to 3,000 miles. As a direction finder the equipment has a range of 1,800 miles. Two stations, therefore, by overlapping, can cover an operative range of 3,600 miles—equivalent to the distance between New York and London. California, Hawaii, Wake, the Philippines and Guam are already equipped with the installation. Money has not been spared by P.A.A. in their efforts to make the Orient route a success and the preliminary flights contributed materially to the practical knowledge of weather conditions, the determination of favourable flying levels and other essential data. One of the most interesting preliminaries was the departure of the 15,000-ton steamer North Haven for Wake and Midway Islands. She left San Francisco Harbour months before the experimental flights were made and her cargo was extraordinarily diverse. Apart from the section- alised houses for the work party, even their plumbing and electric light equipment was included. Piling and floats tor docks; diesel power plants for the radio stations; lighting and refrigeration equipment; and endless food supplies were car ried. Each member of the construction force had been chosen for his proven ability not only in one but three and even four trades—and for his willingness to accept whatever duties his situation required. Two small towns have been erected by these men. The buildings on Wake and Midway compose not only offices, but also radio receiving stations and metereological bureaux. . c'aimed viousl v and procedr. successfully overcome the difficulties pre- iircraftUli -ed in attempts to extend the range of marine have sunrise, and during the hours of dark •-•—« miuers. Variable polarisation effects Chelsea Wakefield Scholarships X HE examinations for the Wakefield scholarships in aero nautical and automobile engineering presented each year by Viscount Wakefield, president of the Colleges of Auto mobile and Aeronautical Engineering, will be held on June n and 12. The four successful candidates will be admitted to the College at the term commencing October 6 and 7, 1936. Application forms for permission to take the examination must be received by the secretary not later than first post, May 8 next. ' Candidates may obtain full particulars and application forms from the Secretary, the Colleges of Automobile and Aeronauti cal Engineering. Chelsea, S.W.3, upon application.
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